Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1887-09-09
FARM AND GARDEN.
BUDDING FRUIT TREES.

July and August are the months for
budding. The peach is always improved
by the budding process, and even
or plums, pears and apples many
hink it easier and quicker to set bud
han graft The work is easily
lone and easily learned
LEAKY BARNS.
Few farmers like the job Of patching
'oofs but none is more important. If
! crop is not secure when in the barn
I had better be standing in the lot. A
aole in the roof will. during a smart
shower, pour stream of water through
On hay or grain below, often wetting
to the bottom. A very short time
md few shingles will temporarily re-
,iar such leaks.
THREE-HORsE TEAMS.
In blowing, cultvating or any other
aeavy work three horses should be
lsed wherever possible. 1t is poor
policy to pay men high wages and then
having them idle because the team is in
:flicient Most two-horse implements do
more efficient work when three horses
are attached to them, although our
pest American plows do better work
With less draught than those of foreign
manufacture.
CORN IN A DROUGHT.
Corn loves hot weather; but if too
, Try the leaves curl and the corn begins
asselling prematurely. Even with
plenty OF rains afterwards, the yield of
Iuch corn is decreased. and there is apt
% be more grain not filled out on the
cob Probably the effect OF unnatural
extremes of weather is to divorce the
iassel and silk, so that they do not put
put at nearly the same time as they
naturally should.
CORN TURNING YELLOW.
When sowed corn begins TO turn yell
ow from being sown too thckly, it
soon ceases to acquire any additional
value. Not only does growth cease,
out the plant becomes watery and in
,pid Cows will eat it, but their milk
will shrink as compared with even fair
pasture. To give really nutritious
stalks. sowed or drilled corn should
nave room enough to grow in, so that
most Of the stalks would at least set a
lubbin. When this is the case tn ere is
great amount of sweet IN the stalk.
HIGH PRICE FOR EARLY POTATOES.
Owing to the scarcity of potatoes
asst Spring, those who had an extra
early piece of new potatoes have been
able almost anywhere TO make good
thing out of it. The Southern supply
mas not filed the market as usual, and
enterpr sing Northern growers have
had a better chance. 1t seems pity to
dig potatoes before they have finished
growing. but when they bring twice or
perhaps three times the price they
will later in the season. it pays. in
come places crops of $50 bushels per
acre have brought more than as many
dollars.
cows IN APPLE ORCHARDS.
When the fruit begin TO fall, cows
should be kept out of apple orchards.
Green apples are not very nutritious,
though COWS, like young boys, will eat
them by the wholesale. 1t is the I'M
equal supply that does cows the most
damage. A few apples each day will
do them no harm. But any day there
is liable to occur wind-storm which
may blow off one-third to one half tn {
fruit on the trees. A COW will then
gorge herself so as to stop her flow OF
milk almost entirely; and only with
great care in feeding can it be restored,
and never up to the amount before she
dried Off
TOP-DREssING FLOWED GROUND.
1t is saving Of labor TO draw out
manure and then pillow it under for
wheat But when this is admitted, the
sum of the advantages of this plan is
exhausted. Under the furrow coarse
manure may be absolutely injurious,
rs II will keep the soil too light. For
distributing manure on land plowed for
wheat the regular manure spreaders
with wide tires are greatly superior to
wagons. They not only cover the
ground more evenly and save labor,
but their broad tires compact the
Croud without cutting into it deeply.
Thus. even when not distributing ma.
nure, these spreaders are fitting the
land to produce better crop.
REMOVING GRAPE VINE LEAVES.
Some people have an idea that grapes
are ripeped by the heat of the sun shin
ing upon them. and therefore cut and
slash their grapevines during the latter
part of the summer. The leaves of the
vine are its lungs. They are essential
20 perfecting the fruit, especially the
leaf opposite the bunch, which is most
likely to be cut away in mistaken zeal
for letting in sunlight; without this leaf
the bunch will ripen slowly and never